Indian Medical Association objects to NMC logo, says it must be religion-neutral

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), the country’s largest non-government organisation of evidence-based medicine doctors, on Sunday objected to the new National Medical Commission (NMC) logo depicting the Hindu deity Dhanwantary and urged the commission to adopt a religion-neutral emblem.

Earlier this week, the commission unveiled a new logo depicting Dhanwantary, the physician of the gods in Hindu mythology, with the word 'Bharat' added above the image, and has now come under criticism for doing so.

The doctors underscored that the new logo contradicted their fundamental values as doctors, while pointing out that it did not behoove the commission to endorse it. “The new NMC logo is in contradiction with our fundamental values as doctors. It is not in conformity with the oath and duty of doctors, which is not towards any particular religion. Such a logo is also inconsistent with the dignity and decorum of an institution such as the NMC,” the IMA said in a statement.

“The logo of any national institution ought to capture the aspirations of all our citizens in an equal manner and by remaining neutral in all respects, thereby eliminating any possibility of any part/section of the society feeling aggrieved in any man,” it added.

IMA also asked NMC to take corrective steps in its statement. “Take corrective steps to adopt a logo which does not contradict the oath and duty of doctors, towards all our citizens with complete neutrality especially in shunning any attempt to connect and/or identify an institution such as the NMC with any particular religion.”

“NMC as of today has done precious little to better medical education in the country. The Central Government should put an end to the deviant running of the NMC by recasting this premier national institution. The restoration of the logo hitherto and/or an adoption of any religion-neutral logo is the need of the hour requiring an appropriate decision to be taken by the concerned authorities expeditiously,” it added in its statement.